Cutie Pie

Playing for Keeps #1

by Nichole Rose

This bossy hockey star just met his curvy match.

Laney
Weston Davies, bad boy of the NHL, was my dad's hero.
He's a beast on the ice…and off.
He's also rude, arrogant, and way too hot.
I came to the game to thank him for making my dad's last year so happy.
I'm leaving as the winner of a Valentine's Day date with him.
Why do I get the feeling he's behind my random selection?
And why am I thinking about actually following through?
This has bad idea written all over it.

Weston
Nothing gets me as heated as a bad call on the ice.
Until I save Laney Briggs from a wayward puck.
She's got the brightest eyes and the cutest annoyed face I've ever seen.
I probably shouldn't have offered to sign her chest.
I really shouldn't have scammed my way into a date with her.
But there's something about her that drives me wild.
She thinks I'm an arrogant jerk.
I think she was made to be mine.
Now I just have to convince her that I'm worth the hassle.

Genres: Sports, Romance, Sports Romance, Hockey, Novella, Hockey Romance, Contemporary

99 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 10, 2021

About the author

Four-time award-winning author Nichole Rose writes deliciously dirty rom-coms, sports, and small-town romance, featuring relatable curvy women and the devoted alpha men who can't live without them. From obsessed billionaires to over-the-top hockey players to the firefighter next door, no one is safe from the hilarious, sassy women she sets loose on the world. She loves delivering relatable characters, hilarious banter, and enough heat to make you squirm.

Nichole also writes dark romance as Nichole Fallon.

When not writing, Nichole enjoys fine wine, cute shoes, and everything supernatural. She is happily married to the love of her life and is a proud ringleader in the world’s most ridiculous chihuahua circus. She and her husband live in central Arkansas.

Reviews

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious 😂

Omg, this is freaking hilarious and ridiculous, but I dig it. I smiled the entirety of this book, and Weston and Laney's banter is top-notch comical. She likes to give him sh*t, and he's given just as much. They were so good and perfect together, and I loved every minute of their scenes together.


******** Spoilers ********

Laney (19) went to the hockey game to thank Weston (32) for sending her father hockey tickets for the last year. Her dad has a tumor and wanted to spend his remaining days watching hockey, and Weston was his former student. Unfortunately, her dad died two months ago, and she went to the game to thank him personally. 

He saw Laney and got hooked immediately, but seeing as he had been celibate for a decade, he didn't know how to interact with female species anymore. 😂 He acted like a dick when he asked her if she was there for him to sign her boobs, and she got annoyed with him. 

Prior to this interaction, Laney signed up for a Valentine's Day date offered by the hockey team to support children with cancer. The first guinea pig in this date series is Weston. Laney only wanted to support the cause but never wanted to be chosen as a winner. but Weston found out that she joined the contest and decided to rig it, just to spend Valentine's Day with her.

Like I said, this is ridiculous. Valentine's Day is their first date ever, but Weston immediately brought up marriage, babies, and moving in with him. To say he gave her a whiplash was an understatement, and to top it off, they both dropped the love bomb. 😂

At the end of their date, Weston took a photo of them for the PR staff to post on insta and he decided that they're now in a relationship. He moved way too fast—so fast that he told her the day after Valentine's Day that they were getting married. 🤣

But what I loved the most in this story was Laney. She's sassy, feisty, sarcastic, smart-ass, and not a bratty FMC considering she's still young. She always held her ground and never let Weston act like an ass around her. Her lines made me laugh so hard, and the way she banters with him every time is comical.

Overall, this is a short, sweet, fun, and enjoyable novella. I think I'm going to enjoy this series if all the FMC are just like her. 😄

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but...

I can only give this three stars because the mistakes made about the game of hockey were just so bad. The are no halves in hockey and there is no halftime, hockey has three twenty minute periods with two intermissions. You do not get suspended for fighting or punching a guy, that is a five minute penalty. There are not six players on the ice unless a team pulls the goalie. A penalty two two five minute misconducts would still be five on four not six on five. Teams do not travel on game days, it’s always the day before. It’s actually in their CBA. I am a lifelong, avid hockey fan and the errors were just too much for me.

Otherwise the story was completely safe. H had been celibate for over a decade and the h was a virgin. No ow/om drama. No abuse.

[♡Tonya♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute!

I love a sports story but they are rarely safe. Nichole Rose hit it out of the park as far as I’m concerned. Great hero and heroine!

-no cheating
-no ow/om drama
-virgin heroine/hero celibate over a decade (no dating either)
-no violence of a sexual nature
-instalove
-plenty of steam
-epilogue 6 years out

[CriSsStina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

It was such a fast-paced story. Everything happened in the span of 3 days. Insta everything, but I ate this up!!! I just loved these two 🤩🤩.

✔️ age gap (33 H, 19 h)
✔️ insta lust and love; his obsession kicked in at first sight, literally, and I was all in 🤩🤭
✔️ double POV
✔️ quite spicy, for such a short read, and it was gooooood 🤭; V h, celibate H (10 years), 🍞ing etc etc etc
✔️ HEA

Now, I want to read the entire series. It was my first read by this author, but it definitely will not be my last!

.
.
.

"Jesus. Why am I so nervous? I may not know shit about dating or women, but I know a hell of a lot about winning. All I have to do is go out there and win her. I've won the Stanley Cup four times. Winning Laney Briggs can't be much harder than that, right? Fuck. "I need more roses," I growl." 😂😂😂🤩


" "You look too damn edible in my shirt."
"You tore mine," I remind him.
"I know. I regret nothing." He flashes me another crooked grin." " 😂🤭🥰


"I was aggressive on the ice, but I'm a ruthless bastard when it comes to my wife. No one fucks with her unless they want to answer to me." 🖤🖤

[KB · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to fix that when I realized I miscalculated that age gap.

A 33yo man is telling a 19yo that he hopes she’s pregnant (a virgin btw) after their first fuck and getting married after 24hrs together?

I’m all about instant love but you are asking TOO much of my suspension of disbelief.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sports and Valentines i love this combo!! This one is pretty fast pace and some steam. 

Laney has had a rough few months since her father had been diagnosed with a tumor shes been lonely and heartbroken, now shes heading to a Hockey game to say thank you to Weston the guy who gave her father season tickets to enjoy. And when they have their meet she is almost hit in the face by a puck and her first impression of Weston is he a jerk lol since he blurted out if he can sign her boobs this has him falling more for her when she tells him what she thinks of him. But he doesn't back down he makes sure when the contest of a date with him happens Laney is the winner even if she says no infront of millions 🤣🤣🤣

The chemistry between them is cute and fire!! But there is tiny tiny drama with paps. I do wanna see Westins hockey teammates get stories. 

No ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, tiny drama, sexy times, virgin gal and no manwhore celibate for years

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶

Instalove
Older/younger couple
33H/20h
Safe
No condom
Hea
Epilogue

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this wasn't that bad but whenever the hero goes me man, you woman, me make you wife and round with my spawn immediately, I can't hear anything but Goran Višnjić yelling I WANT YOU TO BE MY WIFE! repeatedly at Nicole Kidman while he tries to strangle her in Practical Magic .


Kinda ruins it, y'know?

[Elizabeth Hillebrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing short story!!!

I loved everything in this book. The back and forth with the main characters is amazing. The spicy scenes are written well with enough detail that isn't over the top. Full story with not much drama, which is amazing to have!!

[Serena Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Una cita el día V con una sexy estrella del hockey? ¡Sí, quiero!





•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers

•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen




💖Cutie Pie de Nichole Rose Serie Sweet Hearts libro 10💖


Argumento:

Esta mandona estrella del hockey acaba de conocer a su pareja con curvas.

💘Laney

Weston Davies, chico malo de la NHL, era el héroe de mi padre.

Es una bestia en el hielo ... y fuera.
También es grosero, arrogante y demasiado caliente.

Vine al juego para agradecerle por hacer tan feliz el último año de mi papá.

Me voy como el ganador de una cita de San Valentín con él.

¿Por qué tengo la sensación de que él está detrás de mi selección aleatoria?
¿Y por qué estoy pensando en seguir adelante?

Esto tiene mala idea escrita por todas partes.

🏒Weston

Nada me calienta tanto como una mala decisión en el hielo.

Hasta que salve a Laney Briggs de un disco descarriado.

Tiene los ojos más brillantes y la cara de enojo más linda que he visto en mi vida.

Probablemente no debería haberme ofrecido a firmar su pecho.

Realmente no debería haberme engañado para tener una cita con ella.

Pero hay algo en ella que me vuelve loco.

Ella piensa que soy un idiota arrogante.

Creo que ella fue hecha para ser mía.

Ahora solo tengo que convencerla de que valgo la pena.





Mí humilde opinión:

Este fue un romance de San Valentín con una trama divertida, dulce y picante.

Me gustaron Wes y Laney, tenían una gran química y sus momentos me hicieron reír, comenzando ya cuando se conocen en el juego. Era una pareja fácil y divertida.

Me gustó Wes, era gruñón y aunque estaba todo cavernícola con Laney era protector y tierno con ella. Lo que me agotó y mucho fue que él juraba todo el tiempo! Lo vi innecesario. De Laney puedo decir que era un personaje no solo dulce sino agradable, me encantaba cómo enfrentaba a Wes.

Todos los personajes secundarios llamaron mí atención y quería sus historias, me pregunto si los compañeros de hockey de Wes tendrán sus historias también.

No me había dado cuenta de su diferencia de edades ella 19 y el 30 o más creo hasta más adelante en la historia y ninguno de los protas hizo notar esto y fue raro. No suelo leer romances de diferencia de edad pero este me encantó.

Él epílogo fue tierno y divertido, Wes prohibiendo a su hija pequeña que tenga novio o fuera su San Valentín me hizo reír.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick(ish) Review

Heroine meets hero in a meet cute and pretty much head straight into relationship. The end. And that’s cool if that’s what you’re in the mood for but otherwise, not for me.

And for the record big boobs doesn’t equal fat. Drives me a bit nutty today this was on a fat heroine Goodreads list when every other indicator is that she’s not plus sized.

But anyway, the hockey was featured but really there’s not much done with developing the characters and their personalities beyond getting to an ILU on their first date. If quick, sweet and smutty’s your jam it may work better for you.

[Elsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

better than licking her christmas cookies... girlie book club pick for valentines day (assigned by emma)

[Roudha · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s so bad I wanna give you a zero, but that’s not possible,so I give you a 1.

[Denice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutie Pie (Sweet Hearts, #10) by Nichole Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Hero - Weston Davies. Professional hockey player. Lean and ripped from head to toe, with short dark-blond hair, gray eyes, and a crooked smile that’s full of mischief.

Heroine - Laney Briggs. Part-time bookstore employee. 5’5 and chubby with curly white-blonde hair and blue eyes.

Overall Thoughts - I loved it! Wes is the kind of hero I crave in a romance - blunt, has a sense of humor, and is rough around the edges but softens for the heroine. NR did a really good job with this hockey romance, even with setting up the future heroes (and maybe a heroine? Kelsey was a terrific character), and I can’t wait to read the next in line (who it’s hinted will be Gray). Also, can I just take a moment to applaud that the hero has blond hair? I feel like light-haired men don’t feature enough in romances. Tall, dark, and handsome is nice and all, but there’s just something about light hair and eyes that does it for me. Not exactly surprising considering that describes my own husband. 😏

I absolutely loved Wes’s mouth, his playful banter with Laney, and the humor that ran throughout the book thanks to those things as well as Wes’s interactions with his teammates and adjacent staff. I highlighted so many lines that were filthy but sweet, or just plain funny! The chemistry between Wes and Laney in the bedroom was smoking hot and his absolute certainty that she was The One as soon as he locked eyes on her was swoon-worthy.

So why only 4½ stars? Well, to me, Laney having lost her father so recently seemed out of place in this story. She’s barely mentioned to be grieving and the story mostly focuses on her whirlwind romance with Wes. Considering Laney was already a fan of Wes’s, she didn’t need a deeper reason to go to the game or sign up for the “win a date” contest. Likewise, NR could have used any other less heavy excuse for her to attempt to get his attention before the game. What I’m saying is, a grieving (but not really) heroine seemed out of place in the overall story.

Also, there were little things like throwaway details that get brought up once and then never again like Laney’s cat (who has this poor cat? He’s not even mentioned in the epilogue) or her planning to start college in the fall (did she ever go? Also not mentioned in the epilogue). Then there’s the vague description of the heroine being chubby and/or curvy. That could mean so many things! I believe it was NR who, in one of her previous books, mentioned the specific size of the heroine and I appreciated that so much because I could clearly picture her in my mind.

Regardless, those complaints have almost no effect on my overall enjoyment of the story and I highly recommend giving it a read.

SAFETY

Age: Laney - 19; Weston - 32

Sexual History: Laney is a virgin, with Wes being her first kiss. Wes has been celibate for about 10 years. No mention of what he was like before that.

Condoms: Not used with Laney. I assume he used them in the past.

Heat Level: Scorcher - 4/5

Push/Pull: No

Separation: No

Cheating: No

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No

Sex scene with OW/OM: No

Abuse: No

Possible Pet Peeves/Triggers: Heroine lost her father to a brain tumor two months ago. Hero lost both his parents to a drunk driver nine years ago.

HEA/HFN: HEA There’s one epilogue set six years later. We learn they married two weeks after he “proposed”. They now have two children, daughter Alexis (5) and son Deacon (2). Laney is also two months pregnant with their third baby. Wes is no longer playing hockey professionally but he’s still associated with his old team as a mentor. Laney appears to be a stay-at-home mom and does volunteer work.

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super hot and super quick insta love read. I loved how fast Weston fell and how he was quick to make Laney his.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet read. Feisty heroine, smitten hero and hot chemistry. Epilogue with their kids and pregnant heroine was so adorable. Made me swoon!

Virgin heroine, celibate hero, no cheating, no other man or other woman drama.

[Tess · Rating 1 out of 5]

19 and mid-30s? Ew. Making a baby on purpose on the second day they know each other after we just read an internal monologue about how excited the FMC was to start college soon? Double Ew.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

Okay no, that was just way too fast for me. Sure the book is short so I didn’t expect much in terms of plot, but the whole book takes place over 3 days. And at the end they are engaged?

*slight spoilers*
In those three days, they confess their love for each other, he takes her virginity, they talk about getting pregnant and marriage. Call me old school but this just doesn’t seem realistic to me.

The spicy scenes were okay but HE MENTIONS HOW HIS DAUGHTER AND HIS WIFE LOOK A LIKE DURING ONE OF THEM. Please tell me I am not the only one that is disturbed.

Also I don’t really think this a real representation of a curvy female lead. The only hint we get that she is curvy is that she calls herself chubby and has big boobs. I would have liked a more detailed description and more focus on that fact.

[Jessica C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is awful. The book takes place over a span of three days from the first time they meet until their engagement. You have a 19 year old who has never had a boyfriend or a kiss fall for a 33 year old man who hasn’t had sex in the last 13 years, and it just glossed over. I pushed through because I am hoping the second book is a lot better than the first one.

The worst part of this book comes in the epilogue when they are mid-sex and he starts telling his wife how much their daughter looks and acts like her.

[nialuvreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ⭐️

Laneyweston met, fell in love, and agreed to marry each other in 2 days. This whole short story was in the span of 2 days. Add in 2-3 chapters of smut in the 10 chapters there was and that’s the whole book.

He confessed his undying love the second he saw her. The insta-love was next level. Everything happened so fast??? He was so pushy and she went along with it. 😬

He called her cutie pie in front of the whole crowd in the mic. Gave me second hand embarrassment. 🧍🏽‍♀️ He’s so cringey.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/13/2021)! 🎁

[Kat Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m all for “when you know you know” and love being a little crazy but girl- saying I love you, talking about moving in, marriage, and getting pregnant after knowing someone for A DAY is wild

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Nichole Rose’s books. She’s one of my favorite curvy girl romance authors. This one was super cute too. Plus it’s sports & holiday-themed, and age gap too! All the things that I love.

Laney, 19, just lost her dad a few months ago to cancer. Hockey was their thing and one of the previous players he used to coach, who is now in the NHL, had gifted him and Laney season tickets. Laney was able to spend those last few months with her dad going to watch the games. She wants to thank Weston in person. Turns out they’re having a charity auction for a date with Weston on Valentine’s Day. Laney’s friend makes her enter the contest.

Weston, 33, falls for Laney the moment she shows up at his game to thank him for the season tickets for her dad. He hasn’t been interested in a woman in forever and has been celibate for over a decade, apparently. But he needs Laney, so he rigs the contest for her to win the V-Day date with him.

They spend the day together and it’s super cute. They fall for each other, Weston takes Laney’s virginity (cause obviously she has to be a virgin.. the girls aaaalways are!) and declares she’s going to be his wife.

There’s a bit of drama at Weston’s next game, but it isn’t OW drama so we’re all good there. It gets cleared up super fast and everything ends up happy. Epilogue is 6 years later with an HEA. So cute!

I really liked the intro to Addison and the mention of Clayton for Nichole Rose’s next book. It definitely made me want to read their story too.

4⭐️

POV: Dual 1st person

[Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this Valentine’s Day story. Laney is a curvy, sassy lady who goes to a hockey game to thank they player who made her father happy in his last couple of months before he passed away. Weston is a grumpy hockey player who is thunderstruck when he first sees Laney.

I love Nichole Rose’s stories so much. This one is no exception. Once the two characters meet, sparks fly. The hero is grumpy, alpha, possessive, and awestruck when he meets Laney. Laney has had a crush on Weston for years while her dad coached him in hockey. I love that she makes him work a little bit to get her to go out with him. This story is super steamy. I love that there is just the intense story of their love story, with no added drama. The story just makes your heart happy.

* High heat/low drama
* Grumpy alpha hero
* Sassy, curvy heroine
* Virgin heroine
* HEA with epilogue

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nichole Rose is one of my favorite authors of instalove, short stories (Jessa Kane is my other favorite), and she did not disappoint with this fantastic Valentine’s Day read! I loved how protective Weston was of Laney and his absolute obsession with her from the very beginning. I found it adorable how he was so in awe of meeting Laney that he couldn’t say anything right and fumbled through their initial meeting.

Laney was sweet but very sassy, and I admired how she never let Weston get away with anything. They had great chemistry and respect for each other, and I liked that they had the connection through Laney’s father. It was important to both of them that they made Laney’s father proud, and that really added some emotional depth to the story.

With a great epilogue, fast pace, and perfect conflict/resolution scenes, I heartily enjoyed this story and recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, romantic read.

*I received an ARC of this novella. This is my complete and honest review.*

[Granger McGringot · Rating 4 out of 5]

One sweet h and one alpha manly H met and fell tumbling in love. The story was fast and straight forward in lust. It was plain straight OTT instalove with a plot. Both MCs had one red string and history that bound them together; a loss of family. It was sweet and warming but lusty and steamy in the same time. A perfect blushing read for valentine.


Virgin h, Celibate H
Just graduated sweet curvy h, Professional hockey player alpha H
Age gap (19 y.o h and 33 y.o H)
OTT instalove
No condoms
No drama/angst
No cheating, No OW/OM, No exes
Safe read, HEA, Epilogues
Overall score: 4 instalove stars

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't necessarily seek out romantic comedy type of stories and this title/cover is a bit over the top but, the age old adage: don't judge a book by its cover. I enjoyed this so much lol.

Laney was funny and feisty but not annoyingly so. Weston was arrogant and hot, but oh so sweet to Laney. This was another insta-love, but there's some history/connection between Laney and Weston as well. Despite Ms. Rose's stories being very short, they feel complete.

Laney's friend Addison also will have her own story but honestly, I would be down to read all of Weston's teammates' stories too; Theo and Kristjan especially. Hopefully they'll get their HEAs.

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutie Pie is a fast paced insta love story that has the pages heating up from the moment Wes and Laney meet. Their story is packed with passion, chemistry and a connection that is felt soul deep. Their story has plenty of steam, heartfelt moments and witty banter. An overall entertaining story that scores big with heart, romance and two characters that you instantly fall in love with.

[Sammie Bow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

As far as instalove novellas goes this was ok but average. It was a cute read though.

POV: Dual, 1st person.
SERIES or STANDALONE: 1st in series, can be read as a standalone.
TROPES: M/F adult, age gap, hockey romance.
SIZE: 106 (last page) Kindle pages.
CHARACTERS: Weston (33) & Landry (19).

PLOT: 📚📚📚/5
ROMANCE: ❤️❤️❤️/5
SPICE/STEAM: 🌶🌶🌶/5
DARKNESS/TRIGGERS: 😈/5 (death of parent)

⚠️ My bookshelves can contain spoilers.

[Laiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Hockey
#CutiePie
#Love@FirstSight

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

insta-everything

Everything happens extremely fast in this novella. But it was a nice enough read to relax on this cloudy Sunday.